Since finishing my exams, I’ve found myself sitting around the house and enjoying sweet sweet freedom for a couple of weeks before I start my spring courses. It’s strange to have nothing to do after a full semester- but since it’s so important to relax every now and then, I thought I’d talk about how I’ve been spending my time (other than sleeping).

watercolour

my mom’s side of the family has always been incredibly talented artistically, and even though I didn’t get any of those genes I still like to paint every now and again. I took one art class in tenth grade, and watercolour was the only thing I enjoyed so I decided to give it a shot again while I have the time. It’s incredibly relaxing, I just put on some headphones and tune out while I do a painting in this little watercolour notebook I got.

Of course it doesn’t necessarily have to be watercolour- any medium or subject will work. Landscapes are my favourite, I either paint from photos I find online (mostly pinterest), or just whatever scene I imagine that day.

2. reading

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved reading. I remember spending summers locked up in the upstairs bedroom of my grandmas house; she had a library up there and I’d spend hours reading comics and novels. When I’m at school I get so busy that I never have time to read, so breaks like these are a great time to get through a new book or reread my favourites.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett is one of my favourite books of all time, I’ve read it at least 30 times and it just never gets old. Another favourite of mine has been Beatrice and Virgil, by Yann Martel, who was also the author of Life of Pi. This book begs to be read over and over; if you’re into complex writing this one’s for you. I think it’s a masterpiece, and extremely underrated. I also picked up a couple of new books- Vincent Lam’s Bloodletting and MiraculousCures, which is about a group of doctors, along with A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley. This is the story that inspired Lion (one of my favourite movies), so I had to read it. If you have the time, going to a used bookstore is great way to spend a day. They always have a ton of great stuff for really cheap.

3. The internet

I know it’s easy to get sucked into the internet- I can spend an entire day online and accomplish literally nothing. It doesn’t have to be that way though! You can learn how to do almost anything through online articles and youtube, spring/summer vacation is a great time to do that. I’ve been spending a lot of my time on pinterest– there are millions of ideas and beautiful photographs on there. That’s where I get all my inspiration for hair, makeup, and outfits. I’ve also been getting ideas for new room decor, which means I spend more time (and money) looking for things to make my space the way I want it. I also get a lot of inspiration for this blog as well; anytime a see a poem or quote that gives me an idea, I pin it for later so I can write all my thoughts on the subject matter (most of time those end up at the end of my posts). I know it’s such a mom thing- but I’m seriously obsessed.

4. seriously, just relax

Even though it’s nice to be creative and productive when we have the time, it’s also good to be a little lazy. Let’s face it- school is hard and sometimes I don’t want to do anything at all. My solution to this is obviously netflix; a couple of my favourite shows have been Girlboss, Stranger Things, and Grey’s Anatomy.And of course I’m also going to rewatch Friends again. It just never gets old.

I really think it’s so important to relax every now and then. We all need breaks, but it’s hard when life gets really busy. I know I always forget to make the time- so here’s your reminder to take it easy.